Products are sometimes tested on users through a technique used in user-centered interaction design called “usability testing.” In the industry, this testing is often viewed as an irreplaceable method of gaining direct input on how real users use software, and is therefore considered a near-mandatory practice that must be completed in order to release truly optimized products. The reasoning for giving such importance to usability testing is that without knowing how users use the software, the software's interactive elements cannot be accurately tailored to them to carry out the software's ultimate purpose in the most efficient and convenient way.
The most widely used method of usability testing on mobile device software applications in the prior art is to conduct the testing in professional usability labs. Test users are invited to these facilities, where they carry out the test actions on mobile devices that are mounted in place. Cameras and software are used to record information during the testing that could be later analyzed to improve the user experience during further development.
However, there are multiple problems with carrying out usability testing on mobile devices in usability lab facilities. First, they can be very expensive; it is not unusual for it to cost $50,000-70,000 to conduct usability testing in a lab, as the providers need to cover the cost of their rent, equipment, employee payroll, etc. The result of this high cost is that software developers will either do limited rounds of usability testing, ignore bad test results, or forego the process altogether. The cost of usability testing in a lab discourages developers from completing a fully iterative process of testing and developing until the software is really optimized; the result is that many mobile software applications are deployed prematurely.
Another problem with usability testing in a lab is that the lab conditions are far from the real-world conditions in which users would be using the software on their mobile device. The sterile and uncomfortable environment presented by the fixed mounts on the mobile devices, the external recording devices, and the general hassle of getting to and from the lab all have an undue influence on the user; these environmental factors make the user experience that is recorded in the lab not actually genuine in comparison to what would be seen in real world conditions. Because usability labs by definition do not allow users to use the software on their mobile devices as they would outside of testing conditions (e.g. sitting in a café or lying on the couch), the utility of usability lab test results are limited.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide systems and methods of usability testing for mobile software that can be conducted in real-world conditions at a relatively low cost in comparison to what is generally encountered with usability testing in usability lab facilities.